Arizona for a week
 

Hi all lovely people. Need your advise. I am going to celebrate my big 50-th birthday in Arizona. We are flying to Phoenix on Feb, 26, Staying in Scottsdale for 2 days and after are driving to Flagstaff, where I have rented a house for 6 days (until March 5).
I heard that Flagstaff is the most convenient base location for day trips. Would lobe to visit most amazing places to see and to hike. Unfortunately, Antelope Canyon is closed (dur to COVID).
What would you recommend , considering my stay at Flagstaff? I do not mind driving 2-3 hours one way. After Flagstaff , we are heading to Sedona for 2 days.
Please, please, help me with my birthday itinerary. I really want this trip to be fun for everyone.

Thanx a million

Dates: 2/26 - 3/7
Cities we staying at : Scottsdale, Flagstaff, Sedona

You can read my trip report for the trip my wife and I took in November 2019. We spent 6 nights in Flagstaff an did day trips from there. I saw no need to stay a night in Sedona. We started early from Flagstaff and went down through the canyon into Sedona. We walked around Sedona for many hours including a good museum property at the edge of town. We left Sedona for a dinner reservation we had for my wife's birthday. We ate a great meal at a great German/seafood restaurant called the Manzanita in Cornville, AZ. We went east from Cornville after dark to get back to the interstate to get back to Flagstaff.
On another long day trip we went east to Winslow to "stand on the corner" with the Glen Frey statue and then went north through the Indian Reservation to Tuba City and then back to the west to get to Desert View Tower at sunset. Maybe you could take a hike at the meteor crater which is south of I-40 a few miles west of Winslow.
Click on my profile to get to my trip reports.

I would stay at least one night in Sedona.....do a Pink Jeep tour...

I also loved the Cowboy Club Grille..(Sedona).......thought food was wonderful.....

Keep in mind that Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet elevation so early March it will still be below freezing at night. I'm not sure that there is a week's worth of day trips that time of year....

The Grand Canyon is nearby. Daytime highs should be pleasant (40s or 50s) so trails should be clear of ice/snow once the sun has a chance to warm things up. The exception of course is if there is a snowstorm, which is quite possible that time of year. I'd bring or be prepared to buy ice spikes if you plan to do any hiking below the rim, just in case there are patches of ice/snow to traverse

If you are interested in ancient Native American site, and geologic history, Wupatki NP and Sunset crater are a short way off 89. You can go to them either on the way to Grand Canyon or on the way back. 64 joins 89 in Cameron. Off I-70 a short way east of Flagstaff is Walnut Canyon NP.

A bit farther is Canyon de Chelley which is only toured with a Native American guide so probably not possible, but there are nice views of the both sides of the canyon from overlooks on the rim.

Check the park service sites. To see if places like Hubble Trading post, Meteor Crater, and Petrified Forrest/Painted Desert will be open when you go.

We took a half day smooth water raft trip on the Colorado river from the dam in Page to Lees Ferry which might be going when you are there.

Covid has been very bad among the Native American people, so visiting places like the Hopi mesas, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley should be off your list and any where you go in public you need to wear a mask and distance from others even if you do test negative.

Just a week ago, Arizona had the highest Covid per capita rate of any region in the world, and the rates in Native American communities are just tragic. Hopefully, things will have improved over the 6 weeks before your trip, but this is still somewhere I would think twice about visiting at this time. Definitely review the Covid situation in each city/destination and what's open/closed just before you go.

"I really want this trip to be fun for everyone." Maybe this isn't the time and place for this trip, and it might be more enjoyable a bit later when everything is open and safe(r). You'll be 50 the whole year long...

For one of your evenings in Flagstaff, consider the unique experience of a visit to the Lowell Observatory. Check its website for timing information, as you need reservations.

Have a great trip and a great birthday!

Thank you very much

I would recommend Slide Rock State Park just north of Sedona, and Sedona itself is beautiful so definitely spend some time there. Prescott and the Prescott Valley is also nice, only about an hour and a half from Sedona. I recommend a trip to Superstition Meadery and Lucky's BBQ and Burgers. Happy birthday and have a great trip!

Sunset Crater and Wupatki are my favorite trips from Flagstaff. In fact, one of my comments on this forum made it into several editions of Fodor’s guide ! At Wupatki‘s main building,go allthe way down to the ball court and blow hole. At Sunset, the short but steep Lennox Trail leads to a nice view.

At Lowell Observatory, take a tour if you can.

The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff is one of my favorites.

I like Meteor Crater, unique in the USA. Some are put off because it is privately owned rather than public.

Petrified Forest is also unique.
Between Flagstaff and Sedona, be sure to drive down thru Oak Creek Canyon.

I have made three trips to AZ in the past year. Most of your trip will be in the wide open spaces. Indoor dining where I went had sufficient spacing and masked servers.

Thank you

Flagstaff is at a high elevation. Currently, the interstate between Phoenix and Flagstaff is closed due to a snowstorm that caused many slide offs and other accidents. There is no guarantee that more snow won't fall between now and the end of February. If this is the case and you do fly to Phoenix, have a plan to visit some places south of Phoenix at a lower elevation.
I did drive through some slushy snow in November 2019 on the way back to Flagstaff from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Thank you for the update. Does that mean that we won't be able to get to Flagstaff?

Road crews will open the key roads as soon as they can. As of this morning I-17 is still closed according to google maps. You can look on AZ DOT website to see if they have any update.
It's not like Tioga Pass in CA that closes for the winter.

Hi,
In Scottsdale, I love Barrio Queen for great tacos and drinks. While you're driving up to Sedona and Flagstaff, you can stop and check out the cliff dwellings at Montezuma's Castle National Monument. It's very interesting and right of the road.

Although it's now closed due to snow and hazardous winter driving conditions, I liked Walnut Canyon National Monument. Flagstaff in February might have been a mistake.

https://www.nps.gov/waca/index.htm

I live in Sedona. Hiking and shopping is pretty much all there is to do. There are a few museums, and the towns of Cottonwood and Jerome should be visited too, for better and cheaper food and stores. Hwy 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff closes off and on most of the winter due to snow. I love Flagstaff for a day trip but really not sure what else to do with the Navajo Nation and Hopi Mesas pretty much closed down. If you do go to Sedona and like wine, don't miss Vino di Sedona. Great ambiance, food, wine, beer, and they can set you up an all-Arizona wine tasting.